Evening Republican, Volume 15, Number 128, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 31 May 1911 — Biblical Mathematician. [ARTICLE]

Biblical Mathematician.

An interesting problem In mathematics assumes the form of a tradition, connecting itself with the name of Josephus, the Jewish historian. After the Romans had captured Jotopst, so the story runs, Josephus and 40 others sought shelter In a cave. So afraid were they of falling Into the hands of the Romans that all of them excepting Josephus and one other man ’resolved to kill themselves. The wit of the historian began to work, devising a scheme to save himself and tills other man who was likemlnded with himself. He therefore proposed that they all stand in a semicircle, and that they put each other to death, killing every third man In regular order, and that the last surviving man should then commit suicide. This agreed upon, be was careful to place his likemlnded comrade In the -sixteenth place In the line and himself In place 81, with the result that the two were the last that were left, and by this means escaped death. It is a true problem, and the question was to know before the killing began which number In line the two friends should assume.